The Oxford oarsman who collapsed at the end of Saturday’s Boat Race has
apologised to Cambridge for spoiling their celebrations.

Alex Woods slumped backwards in the boat as his team crossed the finish line but lay there for several minutes before team-mates noticed he was in distress.

As the seriousness of his condition became clear, the traditional presentation to the winning crew was cancelled.

After spending Saturday night in hospital, Woods is now recovering at home and says he “should be fine in a few days”.

Woods said on Monday: “I don’t remember anything of the race after being aware of the blade breaking, and am obviously devastated at the way things turned out, but would like to congratulate CUBC for their win.

“I have contacted their crew and [coach] Steve Trapmore personally, to say that I’m very sorry that my collapse prevented their celebrations, and to thank them for thinking of me at the time. Such sportsmanlike behaviour is a real credit to all of their crew.”

On Saturday afternoon Cambridge thought they had a normal victory when they passed under Chiswick Bridge. Australian Alexander Scharp stood up with his oar over his head, in triumphant mockery of 2011 Oxford Blue Moritz Hafner, who had done the same. However, Cambridge discovered on landing that Oxford had broken an oar, and then quickly agreed to cancel the presentation when they heard that Woods was in trouble.

“Some of our celebrations might have appeared a bit unsympathetic,” said Cambridge president Dave Nelson, “but I wasn’t aware of the broken oar and Alex at the time.”

The Boat Race confirmed on Monday that Xchanging will make an official trophy presentation to Cambridge, but no date has yet been set.

Woods and six other Oxford rowers were effectively doing the work of eight men after one of their crew lost part of an oar shortly after the race had resumed following an interruption caused by a swimmer protesting against “elitism”.

“Oxford drove themselves to the limit. In my view Woods had rendered himself hypoxic [a condition in which the body is deprived of adequate oxygen], and this was the cause of his collapse,” John Sichel, the Oxford University Boat Club doctor, said.

“He was administered 100 per cent oxygen at the scene, and this was continued in hospital along with the administration of IV fluids. All tests in hospital were confirmed normal: cardiac, respiratory and renal function, and he was discharged in good shape.”